The National Assembly is actively working on various bills and measures to boost women’s participation in both elected and appointed positions in Nigeria. Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, announced these efforts at the High-Level National Summit on Women Inclusion held on Thursday in Abuja. This summit, organized by the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) with support from the Commonwealth and Development Office through the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), highlighted that while women represented approximately 49.45% of Nigeria’s population in 2023, their presence in governance remains inadequate.
Tajudeen, represented by Ms. Fatima Talba, Chair of Women in Parliament at the National Assembly, noted that women’s political participation has been low since 2015. He pointed out that if the gender bills rejected by the 9th Assembly had passed, the situation might have been different. However, the 10th Assembly is determined to reverse this trend by introducing several initiatives. These include reintroducing and supporting the Bill on special seats for women as part of constitutional amendments, advocating for legislation to create women-only seats in the Senate and House of Representatives, and encouraging State Houses of Assembly to adopt similar measures.
Additionally, the Assembly plans to promote electoral reforms requiring political parties to include a certain percentage of female candidates in their leadership structures. Tajudeen emphasized that the Assembly is working towards passing the Gender Equal Opportunity Bill to ensure women’s active and equal participation in Nigeria’s political and decision-making processes. Strengthened oversight will ensure compliance with the National Gender Policy and court rulings on the 35% affirmative action for appointive and elective positions in both the public and private sectors.
Ekiti House of Assembly member Abimbola Solanke stressed that women’s inclusion in governance is crucial for national progress, as women offer unique perspectives and solutions essential for a just and prosperous society. Keynote Speaker Prof. Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam asserted that including women in the constitution is a national development imperative, emphasizing the need for comprehensive constitutional, legal, policy, and institutional mechanisms to harness Nigeria’s diverse human resources. Para-Mallam highlighted that Nigerian women are among the most educated and enterprising globally, making their low representation in governance a clear call for significant constitutional reform.
Otive Igbuzor, Founding Executive Director of Centre LSD, expressed hope that the 10th Assembly will pass the five gender bills rejected by the 9th Assembly, emphasizing that including women is essential for development. Hauwa Mustapha, Deputy Chair of Centre LSD, echoed this sentiment, noting the summit’s purpose was to address the reasons behind women’s exclusion from governance and to find solutions for increasing their inclusion from the grassroots level.